Locating and positioning fixture for nailing machines



DEC. 26, 1967 M G ET AL 3,360,176

LOCATINO AND POSITIONING FIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed April 1966 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26,, 1967 GEHL ET AL LOCATING AND POSITIONINGFIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 7, 1966 m 36 5as cSmJM7w .Edwzn M E'EhZ Fred IEaAfiaz-nscm Dec. 26, 1967 M. GEHL ET AL3,360,176

LOCATING AND POSITIONING FIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed April 7,1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Edwm M EeZ-zZ Fred B.Adamscm Dec. 26, 1967 E. M.GEHL ET AL LOCATING AND POSITIONING FIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES 6Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 7, 1966 will!!! JmJn/w .Edwm M E'eZ-zZPrad.B.Adsmsnn WW Dec. 26, 1967 GEHL ET AL LOCATING AND POSITIONINGFIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES 6 Sheets5heet 5 Filed April 7, 1966 Dec.26, 1967 E. M. GEHL ET AL 3,360,176

LOCATING AND POSITIONING FIXTURE FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed April 7,1966 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 dmdw w .E'dwm MGehZ 3 Fred .EzAuamsun UnitedStates Patent 3,360,176 LOCATING AND POSITIONING FIXTURE FOR NAILINGMACHINES Edwin M. Gehl, 3100 W. Sheridan, Milwaukee, Wis. 53209, andFred B. Adamson, Milwaukee, Wis.; said Adamson assignor to said GehlFiled Apr. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 540,913

9 Claims. (Cl. 227-148) This invention concerns itself with blindnailing matched tongue and groove flooring strips to a sub-floor, andhas as its general purpose and object to provide a device with which apower actuated nailing machine, of which there are several on themarket, may be used to quickly and expeditiously nail such flooringstrips in place and do so with a minimum of manual effort.

Laying hardwood flooring has always been a tedious and exacting job. Toproduce a neat, workmanlike result, each flooring strip must be driventightly against the previously laid strip and then blind nailed inplace. This requires the nails to be driven at a 45 angle through thetongued edge of the strip, with the heads of the nails driven below thesurface and located at the junction of the upper side of the tongue andthe edge of the strip from which it projects.

While various tools have been proposed in the past to facilitate thelaying of hardwood flooring, the best there was still required thecarpenter to expend considerable manual effort, since the nails had tobe manually driven. Laying a hardwood floor thus was considered abackbreaking job.

The present invention eliminates the hard work heretofore involved inlaying hardwood flooring, by utilizing a power operated nailing machineto drive the nails. To this end, the invention resides in the provisionof a locating fixture to support and properly position a portablenailing machine for blind nailing of matched tongue and groove flooringstrips, so that by simply moving the locating fixture along the stripand actuating the trigger of the machine, nails are successively drivenat the proper angle through the tongued edge of the flooring strip, tosecure the strip to the sub-floor.

It is also an object of this invention to incorporate means in thelocating fixture for driving the flooring strip home before it is nailedinto position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described which not only properly locates the nailing machineand incorporates means for driving the flooring strip home before it isnailed in place, but in addition automatically triggers the nailingmachine as a consequence of driving the flooring strip home.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several complete examples of thephysical embodiments of the invention, constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tout-ensemble embodying thisinvention, and illustrating the same in its position of use;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the complete structure, illustrating therelationship of its various components during the act of nailing aflooring strip in place;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail view through the tongued edge portionof a flooring strip and that part of the locating fixture of thisinvention which engages the same, to better illustrate the manner inwhich the fixture is properly positioned and guided to its properposition on the flooring strip;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the locating fixture per se, but withthe parts thereof disassembled, as they would have to be to enable anailing machine to be placed in the fixture preparatory to being securedtherein;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the bottom of the fixture;

FIGURE 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section,illustrating a slightly modified embodiment of the invention wherein thelocating fixture is equipped with means for driving flooring strips homebefore they are nailed in place;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view through FIGURE 6 on the plane of the line7-7;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, illustrating a furthermodification of the invention, wherein trigger actuating means areincorporated in the fixture to automatically actuate the trigger of thenailing machine as a consequence of driving the flooring strip home;

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view through FIGURE 8 on the plane of the line9-9; and

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view through FIGURE 9 on the plane of the line10-10.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 5designates a sub-floor to which a finish floor 6 is to be secured. Thefinish floor consists of relatively narrow matched flooring strips 7,usually of hardwood, having a tongue 8 projecting from one edge thereof,and a groove 9 in its opposite edge. When properly positioned andsecured to the sub-floor, these strips are neatly interengaged with thetongue of one received in the groove of another; and so that the nails10 by which the flooringstrips are secured will not be visible, they aredriven at an angle through the tongued edges of the flooring stripsalong axes which pass through the junction of the top of the tongue withthe edge of the flooring strip from which the tongue projects.

With a view towards facilitating the proper placement and driving of thenails, nail guiding and driving devices have been proposed in the past.Patent No. 2,169,433, issued Aug. 15, 1939, to T. A. Roy, is typical ofthese earlier carpenters aids; but all these prior devices were of theimpact type in which the nails must be driven by one stroke or swing ofa heavy mallet or hammer. Before long this becomes quite tiring.

By contrast, the present invention substitutes a portable power-drivennailing machine for manual effort. To

this end, a unique fixture indicated generally by the numeral 11 has aconventional nailing machine 12 detachably secured thereto in such a waythat when the fixture is properly positioned on a flooring strip to benailed in place, the nails that are driven ,by the machine pass throughthe tongued edge of the strip at the proper angle and location. Thenailing machine for which the fixture 12 is designed is of the typeillustrated in Patent No.

3,056,965, though it is to be understood that the fixture could beadapted to receive and mount other nailing machines.

All nailing machines suitable for use in nailing flooring strips inplace, generally have a body portion 13 which I houses the mechanism bywhich nails are forcibly projected from a nozzle 14 alonga pathcoincident with the longitudinal axis 15 of the body portion and nozzle.The nails to be driven are contained in a magazine 16 and aresuccessively presented to the driving mechanism as the machine isactuated.

The nailing machine 11 is pneumatically powered, and is actuated bylifting a trigger 17 mounted directly beneath a handle 18 by which themachine may be carried about, it being understood that the machine mustbe connected with a suitable source of air pressure.

The fixture 11 comprises a base 20 having a fiat bottom surface 21, anda cradle 22 to receive and locate the nailing machine. The cradle isintegral with the base and has spaced side walls 23 connected by abottom wall 24 which is disposed at an angle of 45 to the fiat bottom ofthe base. The lower end of this U-shaped structure is closed by an endwall 25 which is shaped to fit the nozzle portion of the nailing machineand to locate the nailing machine with the axis of its nozzle passingthrough a port 26 in the base.

The nailing machine is removably though firmly held in the cradle 22 bya yoke 27 which embraces the body portion of the machine and isdetachably secured to a flange 28 at the top of the end wall 25, and bya strap 29 which extends across the top of the magazine of the machineand is detachably fastened to the side walls 23.

Since the axis of the nozzle is perpendicular to the bottom of thenailing machine, and since the bottom of the machine seats upon theinclined wall 24 of the cradle, the nails projected from the nozzletravel along a path inclined 45 to the flat bottom surface of thefixture. Hence, if the fixture is properly located with respect to thetongued edge of the flooring strip to be nailed in place, the nailsdriven by the machine will pass through the tongued edge portion of thestrip at the proper angle and location.

To locate the fixture on a flooring strip to be nailed in place, anabutment 35 projects down from the base to engage the edge portion 36 ofthe flooring strip above its tongue 8. As best seen in FIGURE 3, theabutment 35 has a gauging surface 37 disposed perpendicularly to theunderside of the base, to have flat surface-to-surface engagement withthe edge portion 36 of the flooring strip, and to preclude anyinterference with proper positioning of the fixture by such engagement,the distance the abutment 35 projects from the underside of the base isless than the width of the portion 36 of the flooring strip.Accordingly, when the fixture is in position, no part of the abutment 35contacts the tongue 8 of the flooring strip. This is necessary since thetongue may not be accurately placed on the strip, and its profile is notreliably uniform. Since the gauging surface 37 is necessarily narrow, asecond abutment 38 projects from the underside of the base and extendsbeyond the lower edge of the abutment 35 to guide the fixture to itsproper position during placement thereof on a flooring strip. Thissecond abutment has a surface 39 perpendicular to the flat underside ofthe base to engage the tongue of the flooring strip during placement ofthe fixture. It should be noted, however, that the distance between thesurfaces 37 and 39 is greater than the width of the tongue 8, so thatwhen the fixture is in proper position on the flooring strip, no part ofthe shoulder 38 contacts the tongue.

Still further aid in quick placement of the fixture is afforded byhaving the lower edge of the first abutmrint 35 bevelled, as at 40.

Although the base of the fixture has a sufiiciently large area thereofengageable with the top of the flooring strip to normally assure thedesired stability for the fixture during the nailing operation, to guardagainst any possible instability a foot 41 preferably projects down fromthe front portion of the base to rest upon the sub-floor. Obviously,this foot 41 has a height corresponding to the thickness of the flooringstrip.

To produce a neat workmanlike job, each flooring strip should be driventightly home against the previously secured strip before it is nailed inplace. This may be accomplished by simply striking the tongued edge ofthe strip with a rubber mallet in the way in which it has always beendone; but in the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated inFIGURES 6-10, inclusive, the fixture 11 has means to facilitate drivinghome the flooring strips before they are nailed in place. To this end, aplunger 45 is slidably mounted in an open ended bore 46 formed in anupwardly projecting boss 47 formed integrally with the base. The axis ofthe bore 46 is parallel with the axis 15 of the nailing machine nozzleand the coincident path of the nails driven by the machine; and in factlies substantially in the same transverse plane as the axis 15. Hence,the path of the plunger passes through the junction of the top of thetongue and the edge of the flooring strip.

The lower end of the plunger 45 is shaped to provide a V-shaped nose 48with the sides of the V, forming an angle of 90 so that one side 49 isvertical and the other side 50 is horizontal. The disposition of theparts is such that there is less space between the side 49 and theadjacent edge 36 of the flooring strip when the plunger 45 is in itsretracted position (shown in FIGURE 6) than there is between thehorizontal side 50 and the top of the tongue. Accordingly, upon suddendownward motion of the plunger 45, the impact thereof on the flooringstrip will be applied to the edge 36 to drive the flooring strip solidlyagainst the previously secured strip.

A spring 51 yieldingly holds the plunger in its retracted position. Thisspring encircles a stem 52 on the upper end of the plunger, and isconfined between a shoulder 53 in the tubular boss 47 and the inner endof a head 54 secured to the stem by the pin 55. The ends of the pin 55project into slots 56 in the tubular boss to hold the plunger againstrotation.

In use, the operator grasps the handle of the machine with one hand,with one finger thereof on the trigger 17, and with the other handstrikes the head 54 with a hammer or mallet, and directly thereafterlifts the trigger. To accommodate both left and right-handed workmen,the plunger 45 and all of its associated structure is duplicated at bothsides of the fixture, as shown in FIGURE 7.

That embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 8-10,inclusive, incorporates all of the structure described thus far, but inaddition has means by which motion of either one of the two plungers 45to drive the flooring strip home, automatically triggers the nailingmachine. Broadly, the means for accomplishing this result consists inthe provision of suitable linkage, indicated generally by the numeral60, through which downward mo tion of either plunger 45'is translatedinto upward motion of the trigger 17.

Since the linkage 60 is duplicated at both sides of the fixture, adescription of one will suifice for both. It includes a bell crank lever62 pivoted to the fixture to swing about a horizontal axis. One arm 63of this lever bears against one-end of a pin 64 which is slidablymounted in the body of the fixture, and has its other end in engagementwith another pin 65 also slidably mounted in the fixture but atright-angles to the pin 64. The contacting ends of the pins 64 and 65are inclined and so disposed that endwise movement of the pin 65 towardsthe pin 64 imparts endwise motion to the latter in the direction to rockthe bell crank 62 in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 8.

This motion of the bell crank acting through its other arm 66 pushesupon a third pin 67 which in turn is connected to one end of a cross bar68. The opposite end of the cross bar is connected to the pin 67 of thelinkage at the opposite side of the fixture, and together the pins 67normally hold the medial portion of the cross bar closely adjacent tothe underside of the trigger 17, so that if upward movement is impartedto either end of the cross bar, the trigger can be lifted. To assurethis result, the cross bar has an adjusting screw 69 threaded therein inposition to engage the trigger.

The linkage is actuated when its plunger 45 is driven downward, by aninclined cam surface 70 on the plunger bearing against one end ot thepin 64; Preferably, this end of the pin is inclined to havesurface-to-surface engagement with the cam surface 70. A spring 71 holdsthe pin 64 against the cam surface; and a spring 72 holds the pin 67 inits retracted position.

From the foregoing description taken with the accompanying drawings, itshould be apparent to those skilled in this art that the presentinvention greatly facilitates the laying of tongue and groove flooring,and that it opens up an entirely new field of use for portable poweroperated nailing machines.

What is claimed as our invention is:

1. A locating fixture to support and properly position a portable powerdriven, trigger controlled nailing machine having a nozzle from whichnails are forcibly projected along a path coinciding with the axis ofthe nozzle, when the machine is triggered, for blind nailing matchedtongue and groove flooring strips to a sub-floor, said fixturecomprising:

A. a base having a bottom surface adapted to rest upon a flooring stripto be nailed in place and having a port through which nails may pass;

B. structure projecting up from said base and forming a cradle toreceive and hold the nailing machine with the axis of its nozzle passingthrough said port in the base at substantially a 45 angle to the bottomof the base;

C. means on said structure to detachably secure the nailing machine inthe cradle; and

D. shoulder means depending from the underside of the base adjacent tosaid port to engage the tongued edge of a flooring strip which is to benailed in place, and by such engagement so locate the fixture that theaxis of the nailing machine nozzle passes through the engaged edge ofthe flooring strip.

2. The locating fixture of claim 1, wherein said shoulder meanscomprises a first abutment on the underside of the base, having a flatgauging surface projecting perpendicularly from the underside of thebase to engage that portion of the tongued edge of the flooring stripabove the tongue without contacting the tongue, and

said abutment being so positioned with respect to the cradle that saidaxis of the nailing machine nozzle passes substantially through thejunction between the top of the tongue and the edge of the flooringstrip, and said shoulder means further comprising a second abutmentprojecting down from the base a distance greater than the firstabutment, to be engageable with the tongue of the flooring strip duringplacement of the fixture, and thereby guide the fixture into properposition as it is placed on the flooring strip,

the gauging surfaces of said abutments being spaced apart a distancegreater than the width of the tongue on the flooring strip, so that thesecond abutment does not contact the tongue when the fixture is inproper position on the flooring strip as defined by the engagement ofthe gauging surface of the first abutment with the edge of the flooringstrip above the tongue. 3. The fixture of claim 2, further characterizedby a bevelled edge on the first abutment receding from the gaugingsurface thereof to assist in guiding the fixture to its proper positionon a flooring strip.

4. The fixture of claim 2, further characterized by a foot projectingfrom the base at a distance from the portion thereof which rests uponthe flooring strip when the fixture is in proper position thereon,

said foot being of a height corresponding to the thickness of theflooring strip, so that the foot rests upon the sub-floor when thefixture is in its proper position.

5. The fixture of claim 1, wherein the means on said cradle-formingstructure by which the. nailing machine may be secured in the cradle,comprises a yoke of a size and shape to embrace a portion of the body ofthe nailing machine, and

means for detachably securing said yoke to said cradle-formingstructure.

6. The fixture of claim 1, further characterized by means by which aflooring strip may be driven home into tight matching engagement with apreviously fastened flooring strip, said means comprising an impactplunger having a nose shaped to engage the tongued edge of the flooringstrip above the tongue, means on the base defining an open-endedguideway extending upwardly from the base and in which the plunger isaxially slidably received with its nose lowermost,

the axis of said guideway being inclined and substantially parallel withthe path along which the nails are to be driven through the tongued edgeof the flooring strip, and passing through the base at a point such thatthe nose of the plunger will engage the tongued edge of the flooringstrip above the tongue upon downward motion of the plunger, meansyieldingly holding the plunger in a retracted position from which itmust be moved to engage the tongued edge of the flooring strip, 'and ahead on the upper end of the plunger adapted to be struck with a mallet.

7. The fixture of claim 6, wherein said means for driving the flooringstrip home is duplicated at opposite sides of the cradle-forming means.

8. The fixture of claim 6, further characterized by trigger-actuatingmeans on the fixture operatively connected wtih the trigger of thenailing machine and said plunger,

to automatically actuate the trigger of the nailing machine inconsequence of motion of the plunger incident to driving the flooringstrip home.

9. A machine for properly positioning and nailing tongue and grooveflooring strips to a sub-floor comprising the combination of a portablepower driven nailing machine having a nozzle from which nails areforcibly projected along a defined axis when the nailing machine isoperated,

a handle by which the machine may be carried and manipulated, and

a trigger adjacent to the handle by which operation of the machine isinitiated; and

a locating fixture for said nailing machine by which it is properlypositioned on the flooring strip, said fixture comprislng:

(1) a base to rest upon the flooring strip, said base having a porttherein;

(2) structure on the base defining a cradle to receive and hold thenailing machine with said axis along which it propels the nails passingthrough the port in the base at an acute angle;

(3) means detachably securing the nailing machine in said cradle;

(4) guide means on the underside of the base to engage the tongued edgeof a flooring strip and so position the fixture thereon that nail-sdriven by the nailing machine pass through the tongued edge of theflooring strip to elfect blind nailing thereof to the sub-floor;

(5) a plunger slidably mounted in the fixture for axial movement alongan inclined path which passes through the base,

the plunger having its lower end positioned to engage the tongued edgeof thefioorig strip and drive the flooring strip home against apreviously nailed strip upon downward travel of the plunger; (6) meansyieldably holding the plunger in a retracted position; (7) a head on theupper end of the plunger adapted to be struck with a mallet;

(8) a trigger actuating lever on the fixture positioned to actuate thetrigger of the nailing machine; and (9) linkage operatively connectedwith said lever and the plunger, through which downward travel of theplunger is translated into trigger actuating motion of said lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Payzant 227-110 Roy 227-110Anstett 227-148 Anstett 227-148 Dettloff et a1 227-127 Boulay 227-109 XRGRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner.

1. A LOCATING FIXTURE TO SUPPORT AND PROPERLY POSITION A PORTABLE POWERDRIVEN, TRIGGER CONTROLLED NAILING MACHINE HAVING A NOZZLE FROM WHICHNAILS ARE FORCIBLY PROJECTED ALONG A PATH COINCIDING WITH THE AXIS OFTHE NOZZLE, WHEN THE MACHINE IS TRIGGERED, FOR BLIND NAILING MATCHEDTONGUE AND GROOVE FLORING STRIPS TO A SUB-FLOOR, SAID FIXTURECOMPRISING: A. A BASE HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE ADAPTED TO REST UPON AFLOORING STRIP TO BE NAILED IN PLACE AND HAVING A PORT THROUGH WHICHNAILS MAY PASS; B. STRUCTURE PROJECTING UP FROM SAID BASE AND FORMING ACRADLE TO RECEIVE AND HOLD THE NAILING MACHINE WITH THE AXIS OF ITSNOZZLE PASSING THROUGH SAID PORT IN THE BASE AT SUBSTANTIALLY A 45*ANGLE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE; C. MEANS ON SAID STRUCTURE TODETACHABLY SECURE THE NAILING MACHINE IN THE CRADLE; AND D. SHOULDERMEANS DEPENDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BASE ADJACENT TO SAID PORT TOENGAGE THE TONGUED EDGE OF A FLOORING STRIP WHICH IS TO BE NAILED INPLACE, AND BY SUCH ENGAGEMENT SO LOCATE THE FIXTURE THAT THE AXIS OF THENAILING MACHINE NOZZLE PASSES THROUGH THE ENGAGED EDGE OF THE FLOORINGSTRIP.